Games Workshop will probably never say Orktober again in any official marketing capacity, and there is a pretty good reason why.
Games Workshop (GW) rarely fumbles its marketing, but when it comes to Orktober, hey handed other miniature companies a major opportunity.
GW never maximized the term’s potential, and here’s how other companies are exploiting it.
Why Games Workshop Will Never Say “Orktober” Again, But Everyone Else Will!
Updated on October 31st, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest.
A Look Back at 2018: The Rise of Orktober 40k
Back in 2018, Ork players were living the dream! GW was hyping up the biggest Ork releases since 2014 with the new (8th edition) codex and the Speed Freeks box. Orktober was in full swing, and life was great. Ork players finally had their moment in the sun.
But then, the twist is that everything they talked about that October didn’t actually hit shelves until November! Classic Games Workshop move, right? And ever since, they’ve been pretty quiet about Orktober.
Meanwhile, in the Rest of the Miniatures World…
Fast forward to today, and while GW seems to have ghosted Orktober, the rest of the miniatures world has fully embraced it! Across miniature communities, 40k celebrations dominate October.
Companies like Kromlech, Artel W, Puppets War, Wargame Exclusive, and others have turned Orktober into their own little Ork fest, complete with discounts, new releases, and, frankly, a whole lot of fun.
How Fans Turned Orktober Into a Global 40k Celebration
Here’s why that turned out great for the 40k community. Thanks to GW’s slip-up, Orktober has become a fan-driven celebration, and other companies have been killing it.
You’ve got Artel W doing cool things like letting fans vote on their favorite Ork units for weekly discounts. Puppets War is dropping 20% off all their Orc minis and even an exclusive model (how cool is that?). And then there’s Kromlech, which is straight-up unleashing new Ork models, like a green tidal wave.
Here are this year’s promotions from top companies.
Artel W 40k Discounts
Artel W went all in for Orktober 40k, mixing humor, horror, and hobby fun with discounts, new releases, and a limited-edition drop that every Ork player will love
Puppetswar’s 40k Sale and Exclusive Models
This month, they’re dropping the price of all their Orc-related minis and files, including an exclusive model, by a whopping 30% off! Get your Puppetswar minis and files here!
Kromlech Orktober 40k Models and New Ork Releases!
They have plenty of new models this time around, and this isn’t even everything! If you love Orks, Kromlech is hard to beat (especially when the models are on sale), and every Orktober, they really go over the top.
Final Thoughts: Orktober 40k Thrives Beyond Games Workshop
It appears Games Workshop has stepped back from officially promoting Orktober. I mean, they could have just embraced it every year and kept Ork players hyped!
But hey, no hard feelings. It’s grown into its own thing, fueled by the community and some amazing third-party mini-makers. So, while GW may never officially revive it, the rest of us will keep celebrating it for years to come.
Latest New Release Roadmap Schedule For Warhammer
What do you think, will Games Workshop ever use “Orktober” again?
